33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

The “Dragons” of the 33rd AMXS provide safe and reliable on-equipment maintenance for the F-35A Lightning II in support of both the 58th and 60th FS flying operations. The unit is organized under the 33rd Fighter Wing and is a tenant unit on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, an Air Force Materiel Command base.

Commander

Lt. Col. Lindsay D. Christopherson

Mission

Evolving America’s Multi-Capable Airmen into tomorrow’s leaders while generating safe and reliable F-35s

Vision

Airmen First! A Legacy of Maintenance Professionals

Personnel and Resources

The 33rd AMXS mission is accomplished by over 450 assigned U.S. military personnel supporting 47 F-35A aircraft valued at $6.15 billion. The unit oversees all aircraft maintenance, sortie generation, weapons loading operations and logistics integration for the 33rd FW. Daily maintenance operations and tasks are executed by crew chiefs, avionics and weapons load crew members. On average, annual maintenance actions total 40,000 supporting the 33rd Fighter Wing’s $245M Flying Hour Program.

Organization

The 33rd AMXS is organized into two Aircraft Maintenance Units, the Mighty Gorillas of the 58th AMU and the Fighting Crows of the 60th AMU. Each AMU provides sortie production and generation to the 58th and 60th Fighter Squadrons. The 33rd AMXS is also supported by a Commander’s Support Staff and Programs that perform all administrative functions of the unit, and an Independent Engine Maintenance section that focuses solely on preventative maintenance, installation and removal of the F135 engine.

History

The 33rd Organizational Maintenance Squadron, now designated the 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was activated on Feb. 9, 1965, under the newly activated 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The 33rd OMS became one of four maintenance squadrons in the 33rd TFW's maintenance complex. The 33rd OMS was discontinued and inactivated on Nov. 1, 1966.

Tactical Air Command later activated the 33rd OMS on April 1, 1972. Just four months later, under a plan known as CAMRON (Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron), the Air Force inactivated the 33rd OMS and organized its function within the 33rd Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. On July 1, 1973, the 33rd OMS was again activated as the Air Force divided its wing maintenance functions into distinct maintenance squadrons.

On July 1, 1978, under the Production Oriented Maintenance Operations concept, TAC established aircraft maintenance units under each fighter squadron. As a result, the 33rd OMS designator changed to the 33rd Aircraft Generation Squadron. The 33rd AGS provided maintenance support during deployments to operations URGENT FURY and JUST CAUSE. Later, during the first two weeks of Operation DESERT STORM, the 33rd TFW (Provisional) mission capable rates averaged 96% while Total Non-Mission Capable Maintenance rates averaged .3%.

As part of the Air Force's Objective Wing restructuring program in December 1991, the 33rd AGS was inactivated and its personnel merged into the 33rd Fighter Wing's three fighter squadrons. On Aug. 2, 2002, the Air Force activated the 33rd AGS and re-designated it the 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. Seven years later, with the deactivation of the 60th Fighter Squadron on Jan. 1, 2009, the 60th AMU stood down and its accompanying maintainers merged into the 58th AMU under the 33rd AMXS.

With the arrival of the first F-35A in 2011, the growth the 33rd FW’s operations also called for the expansion of the 33rd AMXS. Following the reactivation of the 60th Fighter Squadron, the 60th AMU was brought back to life as part of the 33rd AMXS on Oct. 29, 2021.   

Current as of September 2022